FORMULA 1

[Baccy]

No beautiful women on the grid because it "doesn't fit with the image we wish to portray" Formula1 is now a PC joke gone awry... so sad

[MIKA27]

2 hours ago, Baccy said:

No beautiful women on the grid because it "doesn't fit with the image we wish to portray" Formula1 is now a PC joke gone awry... so sad

#metoo 

[MIKA27]

FORCE INDIA VJM11 PINK PANTHER UNCOVERED

Force India have pulled the covers off of the VJM11 which they dubbed the Pink Panther after which they will embark on the first of eight days of pre-season testing ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 World.Championship.

Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon were on hand to conduct car presentation duties giving the media and fans a chance to see the team’s 2018 challenger for the first time. Nikita Mazepin joined the race drivers for a photo call alongside Chief Operating Officer, Otmar Szafnauer, and Technical Director, Andrew Green.

The updated livery offers a more dynamic look for the team and builds on the strength of the pink identity that was introduced in 2017.

Otmar Szafnauer was the first to praise the fresh new look: “The VJM11 certainly looks eye-catching in its new livery. We worked very closely with BWT to deliver an even stronger identity for the car this year and everybody is really happy with the result. The new shade of pink is very striking and really pops out.”

The VJM11 was presented with new logos from petroleum brand, PEMEX, on the wing mirrors, while the team’s new lubricants partner, RAVENOL, displays its logo on the bargeboards. The engine cover sees branding from NEC as the Japanese ICT specialists extend their partnership with the team for a fourth year.

The long-standing partnerships with Claro, Infinitum and TelCel, continue in 2018 with all three brands prominently displayed on the VJM11. Similarly, the team’s relationship with Hype continues for a fourth season with branding on the nose and roll hoop, while long-term partner, Kingfisher, takes up a position on the engine cover and reverse of the rear wing. Branding from Industrial Engineering brand DUO is positioned on the car’s rear crash structure.

As well as new colours, the shape of the VJM11 will evolve considerably during the next month, as Andrew Green explains: “The DNA of the car is still very much that of last year’s car. We took the decision, quite a while ago, that the launch specification of the 2018 car would be based around our understanding of the 2017 car, but with all new structures required by the regulations in place. It is a starting point, a good reference from which to introduce changes quite quickly; it gives our aerodynamics department more time to develop a car for the first race in Australia, rather than having to release parts early for testing.”

After two consecutive fourth-place championship finishes, the team remains determined to consolidate its position in 2018, as Team Principal, Vijay Mallya explains: “I see no reason why we cannot consolidate our position and improve. Yes, Formula One is a very tough and competitive environment, but we are an established team with continuity in all areas of the company. We don’t take anything for granted, but we will be disappointed if we are not fighting for points at every race this year.”

 

[MIKA27]

TOST: WE WON’T HAVE ANY TROUBLES

Toro Rosso began their new Formula 1 partnership with Honda in an optimistic manner on Monday, with team principal Franz Tost looking forward to proving the doom-mongers wrong.

Honda’s engine has been the least reliable and slowest on the starting grid for the past three seasons, with the Japanese company’s reputation badly damaged by the failed relationship with McLaren.

McLaren have now switched to what should be a more competitive Renault power unit, with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso leaving the French manufacturer to become Honda’s sole partner.

“We won’t have any troubles,” Tost told reporters after presentation of the team’s new STR13 car in the Barcelona pit lane ahead of pre-season testing.

“The power unit is working quite well. I am convinced that Honda has the capacity and the know-how to develop the engine and that we will be where we all expect to be.”

The Austrian added that Honda had made great progress in terms of reliability and performance. “we are all looking forward to the season,” he said.

A limited-mileage filming day at Misano in eastern Italy last week went smoothly and the team reported that the engine fired up first time without a glitch.

Toro Rosso have New Zealander Brendon Hartley and Frenchman Pierre Gasly as their driver line-up, both starting their first full seasons.

Hartley was the first on track on Monday, queuing at the pit lane exit to get the session started ahead of all the rest.

Honda’s Toyoharu Tanabe, a Formula One veteran, told reporters that the company had suffered a hard time since returning to the sport but had learned a lot from the tough McLaren experience.

“We have used that knowledge for this year on reliability and performance as well,” he said, adding that the engine concept remained unchanged.

Toro Rosso were seventh overall in 2017. But with a manufacturer fully devoted to them for the first time, they hope to move higher in a 21-race championship that starts in Australia on March 25.

“The target for Toro Rosso has to be in the front part of the midfield, around fifth place,” Tost said.

[MIKA27]

BARCELONA DAY 1: RICCIARDO TOPS MORNING SESSION

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo topped the timing screens at the end of the first morning of Formula 1 preseason testing in Barcelona.

The first day at Circuit de Catalunya got underway the launches of the Toro Rosso STR13 and the Force India VJM11. With that out the way, it was time for track action with Ricciardo, who dinged the new RB14 during the team’s filming day, ending quickest of all in the familiar blue with red and yellow matt liveried car.

The Australian setting his best time 0f 1:20.179 on Pirelli mediums while racking up 60 laps in the process.

Valtteri Bottas first on duty for Mercedes was second fastest, a tenth and a half down on the top time, as he put the W09 through its paces in the morning before handing over to world champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton for the afternoon stanza.

Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest in the Ferrari SF71-H during his 60 laps, he opted to use the soft compound Pirelli but was still three tenths shy of the top times.

With 73 laps on his chart Nico Hulkenberg completed most laps and ended fourth fastest in the process. His time was set on softs.

It was a solid start to the day for the new Toro Rosso Honda partnership as Brendon Hartley racked up 72 laps, his best time on the soft tyres was the fifth fastest in the session albeit a couple of seconds adrift of Ricciardo’s best.

Lance Stroll in the Williams FW41 was sixth and Romain Grosjean in the Haas VF18 next best, the pair completing 46 and 32 laps respectively.

It was a disappointing start to McLaren’s new era as a wheel wobbled off the MCL33 of Fernando Alonso, causing him to lose control and spin into the gravel. He lost a great deal of time in the pits after that, but emerged late on in the session and sadly for the team his pit board only had ten laps on it.

Marcus Ericsson was over four seconds off the pace in the new Sauber, now powered by current edition Ferrari engines as opposed to the one-year-old power units they had at their disposal last year.

The only test driver getting a run on the opening day was Nikita Mazepin in the Force India VJM11. He was slowest of all during after his 22 laps in the morning.

 

[MIKA27]

WILLIAMS: WE WEREN’T PUSHING TOO HARD

Williams team report from the first day of preseason testing at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship.

• Weather: Cold and dry (AM), Cold and wet (PM)
• Temperatures (min-max): Air 6-13ºC / Track 7-16ºC

Williams

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: Overall it was a good day. We had a bit of a cautious start as, despite having a filming day yesterday, we still had many parts of the car that we wanted to monitor. Lance got going properly around 11am, so had a couple of hours proper running before lunch and completed a total of 46 laps. We weren’t pushing too hard today as it was more about systems checks, but we are relatively happy with the car. Sergey took over driving duties for the afternoon. We did a number of aerodynamics tests in the early part of the session, but by time he was going out for proper runs we had lost track conditions as the temperatures plummeted. We weren’t alone in not being able to switch the tyres on; no matter how hard he pushed on the out-lap, the tyre was going away from him. It then began to rain, which did give us the opportunity to run the intermediate and extreme wet tyres, before ending the day with a practice start. So, it was a bit of a frustrating day for Sergey but overall, we have had very good reliability with a total of 74 laps on the car. We also have a lot of data to understand and build on our programme for the rest of the week. Thank you to all the team, both in Barcelona and back at Grove and Brixworth, for the incredible work they have done to get the FW41 here for its first day of testing. We hope this is the beginning of a strong season for the team.

Lance Stroll, 9th: So far, so good, which is always a positive thing on the first day. It is a new car, which means there are lots of things that have to be done to get on top of it, so it is good we had no problems this morning. We have a big programme and we want to get a lot of laps done in order to get us as well prepared as possible for the first race. It is a bit early to say where we are, but it seems to be good so far. As for the halo, to be honest, I am not a huge fan of the look, however, it is going to help save lives. If I am in the car and it is going to help reduce the chances of being injured I will definitely take that device and that is what the halo is doing. I am complaining about the looks, but at the same time I understand that the safety is important. It is different for me here at this test as I have a year under my belt now. I am really looking forward to going into my second season of Formula One and having been to every track once, it is certainly different to where I was this time last year.

Sergey Sirotkin, 13th: Today was a bit cold and rainy, unfortunately. We spent all day trying to make the best of the conditions but it was probably a little bit too extreme to run consistently. We tried different things throughout the day, but with the new surface which is nice and smooth, it’s not the best for such conditions. Due to the weather, I don’t think we could properly run or evaluate the car. Obviously, you want to maximise the pace to try and maintain the temperatures but that requires pushing as much as you can. I tried my best but we don’t want to damage the car at this early stage, and there were some tricky moments during the day. For sure, I was excited. It’s been a lot of work, we’ve been working very hard over the winter so it was very nice to be back here to try and put all the work we’ve done over the past few months onto the track in the car. We still have seven days of testing so I hope we’ll get some clear running and get some more chances to try the car properly. The halo is good, to be honest we’re quite used to it after running with it in the simulator. It’s definitely more difficult to jump in and jump out of the car but once you’re in it, you don’t care.

[MIKA27]

RED BULL: A LOT OF LAPS AND GOOD RELIABILITY

After taking to the track for the first time last week in its one-off ‘Disruptobull’ livery for a filming day at Silverstone, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s 2018 challenger, the RB14, today returned to its familiar racing colour scheme as testing for the new Formula 1 season got underway at a cold (and late in the day, pretty wet) Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

After 105 trouble-free laps, Daniel Ricciardo ended the day at the top of timesheet with a best lap of 1:20.179, set in the morning session on medium-compound Pirelli tyres.

“That was… cold! But apart from that it was good,” said Daniel Ricciardo. “In the morning when it was dry everything was fine but in the afternoon the conditions were really tricky. It’s hard to get anything working with tyres in these temperatures, especially as they’ve also re-laid the surface. When the temperature is there it’s good, but when it’s cold there really isn’t any grip! However, it was still a good day and we got over 100 laps done, with, I think, one run of 35 laps. So reliability was solid and hats off to everyone for that. Performance? Yeah, It’s nice to see yourself at the top of the timesheets but in two-degree temperatures you really can’t learn anything!”

Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin added: “That was a good start to testing for us. The fact that this year we had the car finished ahead of schedule certainly helped I think; just having that deadline of last week’s filming day meant we had to be able to fire the car up and run. And I think the value of that deadline shows in what we got done today, which is certainly the largest lap total for a first day of pre-season testing that we’ve had in some time. It’s a validation of some of the changes we made over the winter. It was a good outing, we got a lot of laps under our belt and we had good reliability. That’s all you can ask for. It is day one and we take nothing for granted, but overall, we’re pretty pleased with what we achieved.”

[MIKA27]

HAAS: A STRANGE DAY

Romain Grosjean opened up pre-season testing for Haas F1 Team on a cold and overcast Monday at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya.

The Frenchman ventured onto the 4.655-kilometer (2.892-mile), 16-turn track at 9:10 a.m. local time and when the day was complete, Grosjean had racked up 55 laps behind the wheel of the Ferrari-powered Haas VF-18 to log 256.025 kilometers (159.086 miles).

Grosjean’s best time was a 1:22.578, earned on his 48th lap with a new set of Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft tires. The quick time put the seventh-year Formula One pilot 10th among the 13 drivers participating in the first day of testing.

Grosjean began with a series of reconnaissance runs before a 12-lap stint on the White medium tire generated a quick time of 1:23.092. A 13-lap run on Yellow softs was completed prior to the lunch break, with Grosjean recording a best time of 1:23.453 on the slightly softer tire compound. A total of 32 laps were logged in the morning session.

After a four-lap reconnaissance run on White mediums to start the afternoon session, the VF-18 was outfitted with a new set of Yellow softs for a 16-lap stint. It was here where Grosjean secured his fastest lap of the day.

Deteriorating weather conditions as the afternoon wore on cut short any additional running time. Intermittent drizzle turned to light rain, and combined with a temperature hovering at 5.6 degrees Celsius (42 degrees Fahrenheit), no useful information could be gleaned.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo set the day’s quickest time (1:20.179) and ran the most laps (105).

Romain Grosjean: “It’s been a good day. The first day with the car is always super exciting. My first feeling from the car is very positive, so that’s really good knowing today’s conditions haven’t been easy with cold temperatures, a bit of rain and the new tarmac. We’ve managed to get almost 60 laps. We didn’t have any major problems with the car. The main thing for the first day with the car is that the feeling is good.”

Guenther Steiner: “A strange day. Everything went well in the beginning, but then the track got very inconsistent. We recovered well, though, as we did some laps. For sure, we’d have liked to have done some more, but it’s okay, we are still on plan. Climate conditions were difficult, but they were the same for everyone and the week doesn’t look good from a forecast perspective. We’d have liked it to be a little warmer with a little bit less water, but all-in-all we got some of the test program done. We need to stay positive and keep going with it hoping that the weather gets better.”

Next Up: Teammate Kevin Magnussen takes over the Haas VF-18 on Tuesday, with Grosjean returning to the car on Wednesday before Magnussen completes the first week of testing on Thursday. After a four-day break, teams return to Barcelona for the second and final round of preseason testing March 6-9. Magnussen drives March 6 and March 8, while Grosjean drives March 7 and March 9.

 

[MIKA27]

FORCE INDIA: SMALL TEETHING PROBLEMS LIMITED MILEAGE

Sahara Force India launched its 2018 Formula 1 season today with Development Driver Nikita Mazepin the first to experience the VJM11 in Barcelona.

• Laps: 22 laps
• Best time: 1:25.628
• Position: P11 of 12
• Mileage: 102km

Nikita Mazepin: “We didn’t complete a huge number of laps today, but that’s often the case with a new car. The laps we did complete were positive: the car felt pretty similar to last year but has clearly taken some good steps forward. I felt very comfortable with the halo, but I lowered my seating position compared to last year and the visibility was good. We lost some of the afternoon resolving a sensor issue and then the weather deteriorated, which kept us in the garage.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer: “The first day with a new car is always a bit of a step into the unknown. We focussed on systems checks and aero mapping this morning as Nikita got his first impression of the new car. A few small teething problems with a sensor caused some brake cooling issues, which hampered the afternoon programme and limited our mileage. By the end of the day it was getting chilly and damp, and it was difficult to complete any meaningful running. Nikita did a good job and delivered detailed feedback as usual. We will pick up tomorrow with more aero mapping of the car as Esteban gets his first taste of the VJM11.”

[MIKA27]

RENAULT: A GOOD STEP FORWARDS

Renault Sport Formula 1 Team completed the first day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with both Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz taking turns behind the wheel of the Renault R.S.18.

Nico put in 73 laps in the morning, running reliably to complete his full programme, with a best lap time of 1min 20.547secs. Carlos ran in the afternoon, to a more limited programme due to increasingly inclement weather. He posted 26 laps with a best time of 1min 22.168secs. Today was the R.S.18’s second track appearance, following a promotional filming day on Saturday February 24, also in Barcelona.

Renault Sport Formula One Team completed the first day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with both Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz taking turns behind the wheel of the Renault R.S.18.

Nico put in 73 laps in the morning, running reliably to complete his full programme, with a best lap time of 1min 20.547secs. Carlos ran in the afternoon, to a more limited programme due to increasingly inclement weather. He posted 26 laps with a best time of 1min 22.168secs. Today was the R.S.18’s second track appearance, following a promotional filming day on Saturday February 24, also in Barcelona.

Fast Facts:

• Track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, 4.7km.
• Chassis: R.S.18 – 01.
• Weather: Cold and colder, afternoon drizzle. Ambient 7°C – 12°C Track 7°C – 16°C.
• Programme: Aero runs, lap accumulation.
• Laps Completed: 73 Nico; 26 Carlos.
• Classification: Nico P4, 1:20.547; Carlos P6, 1:22.168.
• Interruptions: Aero-rake removal, inclement weather avoidance.
• What’s Next? Carlos will jump back into the car tomorrow morning, handing over at lunchtime to Nico for afternoon duties.

Nico Hülkenberg: “It was a satisfying first morning in the car. Our plan today was to get mileage and laps under our belt and we managed to achieve that. It was a solid start with no major issues. I felt good in the car straight away but there are other factors to consider too; the track here has been resurfaced so there are fewer bumps and a lot more grip so it naturally feels a lot better behind the wheel. Certainly, we’re a good step forwards from where we were this time last year, but we have a lot of work to do over the days ahead. We completed every detail of the first day’s morning programme, so that’s credit to the team for all their hard work.”

Carlos Sainz: “It’s been an encouraging day, if a bit frustrating for me because of the polar weather this afternoon! It was quite tricky out there and that meant I couldn’t get a true feeling in the car. Every time I went out it took a while for the tyres to warm up and therefore I had to be quite cautious. I couldn’t find the limit of the car today, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow and going again; hopefully with some better conditions so I can gather some better feedback. Despite the cold weather here, the effort from everyone has been superb.”

Nick Chester, Chassis Technical Director: “These are not ideal conditions for testing, but nevertheless we completed a good tally of laps with the R.S.18 and initial impressions are favourable. Nico had a very strong morning with 73 laps completed. The car was reliable and behaved as expected in regards to design and our simulations. Carlos didn’t get the rub of the weather this afternoon but did get an initial feel for the car. Overall, it’s a solid start.”

[MIKA27]

TORO ROSSO: WE HAVE MADE AN ENCOURAGING START

Toro Rosso and Honda report from the first day of preseason testing at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, ahead of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship.

• Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya
• Driver: Brendon Hartley – Car: STR13-02
• Best time: 1:22.371 – Laps: 93

Brendon Hartley: “It was a really positive day. We had no issues at all but we stopped early because of the weather, it was almost icy conditions out there. Everything felt pretty good from out of the box, we had some test items that we didn’t get to complete because of the weather, but getting through 93 laps on the first day of testing was a great start to the campaign with the new Toro Rosso-Honda (partnership). Balance-wise, we were pretty comfortable straight away but I still think there’s potential to unlock. I’m really happy with how the day went, I think everyone probably struggled with tyres, but doing one corner slow the tyres drop out of the window and it was almost like an ice-skating rink. It’s quite a challenging day to get the tyres working in the window all the time. I think we learnt a lot and set ourselves up nicely for the rest of the test, probably more so next week when the weather gets a bit better. The driveability of the engine is one of the best I’ve driven in a Formula 1 car, so it was really positive in all aspects. Absolutely no complaints from me. “

James Key, Technical Director: “It’s great to go testing after a long winter of preparation and get the new car running on track. I think the priority for today, and for this week, has been predominantly mileage accumulation for checking the reliability of the car itself, giving the drivers plenty of opportunity to learn about the car and to cover some ground with preparation for the start of the season. This is an important preparation period for the drivers, which they didn’t get the opportunity to cover last year. We will also be going through the fundamentals of the new tyres, car set up, aero performance etc in this first week and we started this today in a positive way. We got through the majority of the test programme which was ultimately curtailed by the tricky weather conditions in the afternoon. However we covered a lot of laps with no major problems, we have worked well and proactively with our colleagues at Honda over the last 6 months and we can be pleased by the encouraging start we have made.”

Toyoharu Tanabe, Honda F1 Technical Director: “I feel happy that we were finally able to bring the car on track here in Barcelona after a busy winter. We did not complete our entire planned programme for today, but that was simply because we did fewer laps than we could have done this afternoon, due to the very low temperatures and drizzle which affected track conditions. However, I am pleased with the work completed and 93 laps is a respectable total.”

“Although we have only been working with Toro Rosso for a relatively short period of time, the development has gone ahead according to plan thanks to both partners communicating very closely together. I think we are all working very well as a team now and I appreciate the hard efforts made by all the staff in Italy, UK and Japan.”

“Today, on the first day of testing, we went through all the usual function checks on the car, as well as the operational checking of the team’s work flow, as we are obviously a new team with a new car. We have seven more days of testing and it is important to do as many laps as possible in that time, to develop the car as a package, focusing on being well prepared for Melbourne.”

MIKA: Damn!! 93 laps in testing using a HONDA engine!? 

That's 92 more laps compared to last season!

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES: THE INITIAL FEELING OF THE CAR WAS GOOD

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport completed the majority of its planned programme on the first day of 2018 pre-season testing, gathering valuable aero and tyre data.

Owing to cold temperatures throughout the day and rain after the lunch break the team decided to cut the running short midway through the afternoon. Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton took turns at the wheel of the all-new F1 W09 EQ Power+, completing a total of 83 laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

• Valtteri was the first behind the wheel in the morning session, completing the programme the team had planned
• Lewis session in the afternoon was cut short as the weather changed for the worse and made it tricky to run representative configurations
• Today’s programme focused on aerodynamic data collection and runs to improve the understanding of the 2018 Pirelli tyres
• Mercedes-Benz Power Units today completed a total of 833km
• Tomorrow, Lewis will drive the F1 W09 EQ Power+ in the morning with Valtteri behind the wheel in the afternoon session

Valtteri Bottas: “Our first morning here in Barcelona was very positive. We got everything done that we had planned. The main mission for the morning was to gather aerodynamic data, so I was doing runs at constant speeds. I got a few practice laps for myself as well; but that kind of running was very limited. We didn’t do any performance running, so I haven’t pushed the W09 to its limits yet.”

“The initial feeling of the car was good, it was behaving well. I couldn’t point out any negatives compared to last year’s car, only positives so far.”

“It was really good to be back in the car; it felt like I haven’t been away at all. It didn’t take any time to get used to the car – that’s a good feeling. Driving these cars is still hard work for the drivers, but I had a good training programme over the winter, so I felt physically prepared.”

“The weather conditions today were a bit tricky with the cold temperatures. Neither the cars nor the tyres are made to be driven in five degrees Celsius. We ran two sets of Medium tyres. In these conditions it was difficult to get enough heat into them to get them working properly. That’s been the main challenge of the day, but that’s the same for everyone. The amount of testing we can do is limited so we have to make the most of it.”

Lewis Hamilton: “It’s great to be back in the car after three months off, but unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to complete many laps today owing to the bad weather.”

“The track was very cold in the afternoon, meaning it was tough to get any sort of heat into the tyres. The tyres weren’t really working in these temperatures, so I could not get a real feel for them.”

“I didn’t really get the chance to push in the car and go up to top speeds as the conditions were so bad. It’s hard for me to say a whole lot about the car because I did not drive it for a long time, but the initial feeling is good.”

[MIKA27]

FERRARI: TOO EARLY TO MAKE ANY JUDGEMENT

While Italy is freezing, the Barcelona area is not doing much better, even if the trees are already in blossom here.

After a sunny Sunday, which meant that Scuderia Ferrari was able to comfortably complete its Filming Day, the “real” debut for the SF17H took place in plunging temperatures, with rain arriving towards the end of the session.

However, by the end of the day, Kimi Raikkonen had completed 80 laps of the Catalunya Circuit, the fastest of them in 1:20.506 on Soft tyres. He worked through the first part of a programme that, over the course of this week, is given over mainly to acquiring data.

“The real problem, the only one today, was the weather,” summarised Kimi. “My first impressions with the new car were OK, but it’s still too early to make any judgement, especially given today’s conditions. These tyres aren’t designed to work at 8 degrees and it was difficult for everyone. As for the rest, our work had nothing to do with lap times and we just ran and changed a few things, trying to understand the car, which doesn’t seem to have any faults. Now we must try and do more kilometres.”

The first long run with the Halo protection fitted over the cockpit went off without any problems. “Compared to the tests we did in previous years, this time the Halo had been conceived as an integral part of the car design, which had not been possible before. I didn’t notice anything different to driving the car without the protection.”

Testing continues tomorrow, with Sebastian Vettel, while it will once again be Kimi’s turn on Wednesday, with Seb then rounding off the first winter test.

[MIKA27]

ALONSO: IT WAS A VERY, VERY SMALL PROBLEM

Although Fernando lost a rear wheel and spun into the gravel with half a dozen laps covered on the first day of the Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona, he ended the day optimistic about the potential of the McLaren-Renault package while playing down the morning incident.

“So far so good,” Alonso told reporters in the Circuit de Catalunya paddock. “Obviously very early days, but the car and engine was running fine.

“I know a lot of people from Renault from my past. I know 80 per cent of people in the garage and how they work and how much attention they play to driveability and the performance of the engine.

“Every run was a nice chat with them, in Navarra during the filming day and also here. It was running very smoothly. There are a few things we are trying to change and adapt like every new car. But on the engine side extremely happy and there is huge potential in the McLaren-Renault team.”

The images of Alonso’s stricken McLaren beached in the sand conjured up memories of their ill-fated three years with Honda, but the Spaniard played down the incident.

He said, “It was a very, very small problem but very graphic and very obvious because a car in the gravel is a big thing. There are six teams in the garage with the door closed with the car in pieces, but no one sees – there are no pictures of that.”

“There are a lot of teams in trouble – and big trouble – and for us with a wheelnut it will make the big thing of the day.” insisted Alonso who will be back on duty on Wednesday. with Stoffel Vandoorne in action on Tuesday and Thursday.

MIKA: HONDA wheelnut? 

[MIKA27]

HORNER: MERCEDES AND FERRARI ARE WORKING AS ONE TEAM

It is no secret that Mercedes and Ferrari are on the same camp when it comes to their vision for the future of Formula 1, so much so that Red Bull chief Christian Horner mocked the relationship between the sport’s two powerhouses.

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has been very vocal in warning that he will pull out his team if the ethos of Formula 1 is cheapened by the sport’s new leadership. He has said this more than once and each time his Mercedes F1 counterpart Toto Wolff has backed the Italian team’s boss.

Horner told reporters on day one of pre-season testing in Barcelona, “Mercedes and Ferrari are working as one team these days.”

“Sometimes it is difficult to tell which is which. For the last couple of years there has been a very tight relationship between Ferrari and Mercedes. They even broadcast each other’s launches and things like that these days.”

McLaren have indicated that they are Liberty Media on this matter, while Red Bull are also inclined towards that camp.

Horner explained, “We are focused on going racing, things that we can control, there are new owners in Formula 1 in Liberty and they have to decide what they want Formula 1 to look like moving forwards.”

“I’m sure they will lay out their roadmap and plan during the course of this season and we will go from there. But of course there is going to be a lot of posturing and positioning and you can see that has already started in certain quarters.”

Bernie Ecclestone emerged from his hibernation this weekend and suggested that Ferrari will launch a breakaway F1-style series if they do not come to an agreement with Liberty Media.

But Horner has other ideas, “Bernie knows every time the Concorde came up for renewal there was talk of a different series. Since my involvement over the past 14 years, every time it’s up for renewal, bang there is another series mooted. It hasn’t happened yet and I don’t think it’s going to happen at the moment.”

“Formula 1 is and will be the pinnacle of motorsport and it is down to the commercial rights holder and the governing body to say ‘this is what the future looks like’ and then it’s down to the teams whether they want to be part of it or not,” added Horner.

[MIKA27]

Snow forecast threatens Barcelona F1 testing

Formula 1 teams have held talks about extending the first pre-season test by an extra day as bad weather is predicted for the middle of this week. 
Cool temperatures and rain on Monday afternoon meant limited running at Barcelona. With snow forecast for Wednesday, and conditions expected to improve from Thursday onwards, some teams have pushed to cancel one of the next two days in favour of running on Friday.

But Williams has rented the circuit on Friday for a filming day, while Ferrari has booked Saturday for the same purpose. Motorsport.com has learned Sunday and Monday, when the weather is expected to be warmer and dry, remain available.

The latter option would arguably be the most logical and least disruptive as it would tag onto the start of the second test, which is due to start on Tuesday, March 6.

A change of day requires unanimous support from all 10 teams. This was not achieved as of Monday night but further talks are expected tomorrow.

“At the moment there are no more talks about it,” said Haas team principal Gunther Steiner. “It didn’t get anywhere up to now. We’ll have to look at that tomorrow.”

Steiner said his team would “almost have to” switch days if running was moved to another day.

He added: “It seems odd not to do it. We will decide that one tomorrow. We still have a day to go to see what we are going to do. There’s no point to decide if we can’t get the track anyway.”

[MIKA27]

Barcelona test, Day 1: Exposing F1 2018’s latest tech updates

Check out the best technical photos from the first day of testing in Barcelona, courtesy of Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images.

Alfa Romeo Sauber C37

The Sauber C37 with flo-viz painted on the front wing pillars and side of the nose – the team making sure that its design correlates with what was expected.

Red Bull Racing RB14

This top down overview shows just how narrow the car's waist is as it meets the coke-bottle region.

Red Bull Racing RB14 rear diffuser

The diffuser is painted with flo-viz.

Renault Sport F1 Team RS18

Kiel probe arrays are mounted ahead of the sidepods in order that data can be collected on the wake shed by the front wheels, and how the car's aero is performing to nullify it.

Sahara Force India VJM11 rear wing

Top down view shows the top of the floor/diffuser and the swan-neck style supports used to hold the diffuser Gurneys in place.

Scuderia Toro Rosso STR13

The bargeboards have increased in complexity when compared with their predecessors.

Ferrari SF-71H

Ferrari utilising a kiel probe array behind the car as they evaluate whether the real-world car correlates with what they expected when simulating conditions in CFD and with the scale model in the windtunnel.

Haas F1 Team VF-18

Slotted bargeboards, footplates and deflectors which have been totally redesigned for the VF-18.

Ferrari SF-71H

Note the temperature strips placed in a butterfly arrangement on the floor of the car.

Renault Sport F1 Team RS18

Top down overview goes to show the level of complexity that’s present ahead of the floor and sidepods, as the team look to quell the wake shed by the front tyres.

Haas F1 Team VF-18

This overhead shot shows the row of vortex generators placed atop the halo in order to disrupt the flow over it.

Mercedes AMG F1 W09

This overhead three-quarter shot shows the level of complexity already on display ahead of the sidepods, which is likely to increase as testing continues.

Renault Sport F1 Team RS18

More kiel probe arrays mounted behind the front wheels in order that data can be collected on the wake shed by the front wheels and how the car's aero is performing to nulify it.

[MIKA27]

Williams FW41's track debut from Kubica's POV

Robert Kubica was in action on Sunday as Williams gave a track debut to its 2018 Formula 1 car.

The Grove-based team used one of its two allotted filming days to give the new halo-fitted FW41 a shakedown at Spanish venue Motorland Aragon, and has released footage of the running from Kubica's point of view.

The former grand prix winner joined Williams as reserve and development driver in the off-season, after missing out on a race seat.

Kubica will get to pilot the FW41 in the first week of Barcelona testing as well, as he is set to share the car with rookie Sergey Sirotkin on the second day and Lance Stroll on the third day. 

 

[MIKA27]

Toro Rosso F1 launch: Honda-powered STR13 officially revealed

Toro Rosso officially unveiled its Honda-powered STR13 2018 Formula 1 car with a presentation in the Barcelona paddock ahead of the opening test on Monday morning.

The STR13 made its track debut at a wet Misano circuit last week, with Brendon Hartley at the wheel.

The New Zealander will take on driving duties for the first day of the Barcelona test, with Pierre Gasly taking over on day two.

Hartley will then be back in the car for day three, before Gasly completes the four-day test.

After images of the car were leaked online during the shakedown, Toro Rosso responded by sharing the first official photo on social media.

It then officially revealed the car, which sports a similar livery to the one it raced last year, in the pitlane ahead of the start of testing.

Toro Rosso will run Honda power for the first time this season after switching from Renault to the factory Honda deal relinquished by McLaren.

MIKA: I'm super impressed with the Torro Rosso this season by way of body work, livery etc. Also not to mention the reliability thus far in testing, 93 laps...in a HONDA engine is already promising.

[Squarehead]

Cool pictures,thanks for sharing

[BrightonCorgi]

All these stories on the 2018 Ferrari Livery and Phillip Morris...  In the end it's just a different shade of red.

[MIKA27]

Sebastian Vettel quickest for Ferrari at cold Barcelona F1 test

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time on the second day of the opening pre-season test at a bitterly cold Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday.

With unseasonably cold weather affecting much of Western Europe, air temperature peaked at 4°c, while the track temperature reached only 12°c, remaining in single digits for the bulk of the day.

Freezing temperatures early in the morning limited running, and as a result the session continued through the planned lunch break, in order to make up for lost time.

Valtteri Bottas led the way at the halfway mark but he was eclipsed by Vettel, who recovered from a gravelly excursion through Turn 2 to head the timing screens, and also topped the lap chart, with 98.

Vettel’s brief off caused the session to be halted for a couple of minutes while marshals swept away the gravel which had been dragged onto the exit of Turn 2.

Vettel’s best of 1:19.673, achieved on Softs, was 0.303s faster than Bottas’ quickest effort, set on Mediums, as the Finn improved on his morning time.

McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne was third, his fastest lap having been registered on Pirelli’s new-for-2018 Hypersofts, as he edged Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.001s.

Verstappen’s running was restricted in the morning session on account of a fuel leak, though he made amends later in the day, as he added mileage to the RB14.

Renault’s Carlos Sainz Jr. was fifth, as he conducted the full day for Renault, while Pierre Gasly built on Toro Rosso-Honda’s encouraging start by finishing sixth, completing 76 laps in the STR13.

Williams split running between Robert Kubica and Sergey Sirotkin, the pair finshing seventh and eighth, in front of Force India’s Esteban Ocon.

Sauber’s Charles Leclerc caused a red flag when he spun through the gravel at Turn 4, but returned to action after a couple of hours, as he amassed over 80 laps in the C37.

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen finished at the foot of the times and the mileage charts, just over three seconds down on leader Vettel.

Cold temperatures and occasional light snow during the final 90 minutes again resulted in limited running, in a near-repeat of the morning situation.

[MIKA27]

Robert Kubica 'surprised' by Williams' FW41 at Barcelona test, enjoying new role in F1

Robert Kubica says he was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Williams’ FW41 after his half day in the car during testing in Spain.

As part of his role as Williams’ new development driver, Kubica has been allocated two afternoons in the team’s 2018 challenger at the opening pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Kubica took over from Sergey Sirotkin for the afternoon running on Tuesday and finished sixth overall, within two seconds of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, as he completed 48 laps.

“It was a good feeling, although I’m in a different role but I’m actually enjoying it,” he said.

“It’s different from racing but still I have the opportunity to drive like today, and it gives me a better global picture in order to commit in a deeper way into my role.

“We’ll keep working and try to help the race drivers to enjoy the car and try to make it as fast as possible.

“I’m somehow surprised by how positive things are in some areas of this new car.

“It’s a new car so we have to solve so issues, but that’s normal in such complicated circumstances, as we have really changed the approach with his new car.”

Kubica, though, grew frustrated at repeated questions over his “limitations”, and hopes focus in the future can be placed on his role with Williams.

“I was always comfortable,” he said. “It was only media talking about me not being comfortable…

“If I can jump in the car in difficult conditions and do a good job that’s fair enough.

“Of course I have my limitations, which I never hid, and I think the problem was that I was too honest with everybody and you keep asking the same question.

“I’m enjoying a good period, I’m actually enjoying my role and I think I’m happy to give positive stories and not talk about the same thing after many years.

“If you could help me with this I think it would be beneficial for everybody!"

[MIKA27]

Stoffel Vandoorne upbeat, plays down exhaust clip setback at F1 test

Stoffel Vandoorne expressed optimism over McLaren’s potential after his first proper day in the MCL33 in chilly conditions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Vandoorne, having briefly sampled McLaren’s new challenger during a filming day at Navarra last week, took over duties from Fernando Alonso for the second day of the opening test.

Vandoorne used Hypersofts to finish third overall, six-tenths behind Soft-clad leader Sebastian Vettel, though finished with only 37 laps to his name, after a technical setback.

However, Vandoorne played down the issue, and was upbeat over his first proper feel of the MCL33.

“The first impression is very positive, I felt very comfortable, no surprises, some good learning done,” he said.

“Unfortunately we had this small issue with the exhaust clip just after lunch which obviously detached the exhaust and blew a lot of hot air on some of the wiring looms.

“One of those wiring looms was the brake wire as well so the team took a precautionary check which obviously meant things took a bit longer than expected.

“All in all it’s been a positive day with a lot of thing learned and it was not a big problem.”

On his experience of Renault power, following McLaren’s switch from Honda, Vandoorne said: “So far very positive, there is no big things to say really.

“Everything feels nice, the driveability feels very good, every setting we change is working as expected; so far there’s nothing much to tell.”

[MIKA27]

Pierre Gasly happy with STR13 despite small halo issues

Pierre Gasly has said he is happy with the balance of his STR13 after a cold day of testing in Barcelona despite the halo causing some small issues getting in and out of the car and a torn race suit.

The Frenchman ended the day sixth fastest with a 1:21:318 completed on the yellow-marked soft tyre and managed to clock in 82 laps before the chequered flag fell. He also mentioned he was happy with the reliability the Honda power unit thus far.

When asked about the day's running in such cold conditions, he said: "As it was the first day and first time I properly pushed in the car, the other one was only the shakedown was like check-ups, and today I could really push with the softs.

"I got quite a good picture about the car balance, the potential.

"As I said, the first feeling is really good, really positive. I didn't want to expect anything. It's a new car, you always need to work in the beginning. But straight away I could feel the potential is great, especially in the last sector, today I felt good.

"We have some positive things to take from today, but of course we need to work a bit more because there are areas we feel we are struggling a bit. I think overall for me I'm really happy with this first day of testing."

Gasly also mentioned the halo was causing small issues when getting in the car, he explained it was causing his race suit to suffer small tears while sliding into his seat,  climbing over the top of the halo structure without having to touch it due to the winglets on top.

When asked about the halo, he added: "I don't like it. It's just a big mess to get in the car and get out. I think my suit is already broken, so we'll have to ask for many suits from Alpine Stars this year. I'll accept that to drive with it doesn't make a big difference.

"In terms of visibility, it's the same. Of course, you see something on top of you, which is a bit weird, but when you start to drive you're still focused and you're just paying attention to your driving. You don't really see it. But to get in the car and get out is quite a big challenge.

"Already, it's the first day, and I have many holes on the back. You need to be a lot backwards to slide in the car. It's actually quite weird. Now with all the winglets you have on the Halo, you cannot really pull to get out and touch it. It's quite weird conditions, but it's nothing really important. I just prefer the old cars."